Former India coach Ravi Shastri said that coach and captain must have a say on team selection. Shastri’s comments came after he told Times of India that how he never realized why MSK Prasad led selection committee opted to pick three wicket-keepers in India’s World Cup squad. He added that going forward team must be picked with captain and the coach having a stake in the decision making.
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“I think it is extremely important for the coach and the captain to have a say in the team selection, officially going forward. It is very important especially if the coach is experienced enough. I was, Rahul (Dravid is), and the captain should also have a say,” Ravi Shastri said on a Star Sports show.
The team finished runners up at the World Cup, but had a fair share of problems. One of the most prominent was never having a permanent number four. Also, having three wicket keeper batters in Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni made sure India struggle to put a right combination. This also meant Ambati Rayudu was dropped despite being groomed for it in the lead up to the tournament.
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“I wasn’t okay with three wicketkeepers being picked for the World Cup. Either Ambati (Rayudu) or Shreyas (Iyer) could’ve come in. What was the logic in having MS Dhoni, Rishabh (Pant), and Dinesh (Karthik) altogether? But I never interfered with the selectors’ work, except when I was asked for feedback or as part of a general discussion.”
Sanjay Bangar, who was the batting coach, also opened up. He said selectors have the right to pick up the squad, but must have a discussion with the skipper and coach. “When you are picking an Indian team I feel that the selectors have the final say but they are also always in discussion with the captain and the head coach. Whatever decisions are taken, they generally become a collective decision and not a decision of a single individual,” he said on Star Sports.
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